George w



(No Model.)

G. W. SLEEPER. BOOT OR SHOH.

No. 563,()83. Patented June 30, 1896.

WITN ESSES ANDREW B GRAHAM, PHOTO-LTIHO.WASHVNGTUN.D.C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE XV. SLEEPER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TWVO-THIRDS TOHENRY S. ROBINSON AND ANDREXV W. COMSTOCK, OF SAME PLACE.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,083, dated. June30, 1896. Application filed August 17, 1895. Serial No. 559,(391. (Nomodel.)

TO call whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SLEEPER, of Detroit, county of Wayne,State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBoots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings. r

The object of my invention 'is to produce, by an improved method,improved means of fastening the sole of a shoe to its insole; and itconsists, specifically, in improvements in insoles, whereby theseam-channel in general ordinary use may be dispensed with, and wherebya rib is formed in a novel manner designed to overcome the objections toa rib formed by folding the insole.

In the ordinary channeled shoe the stock from which the insole is madeis cut to form the channel, thereby materially weakening the insole andtendin g to prevent the requisite strength of union between the insoleand the welt, or else a rib is formed upon the insole by folding thematerial upon itself, the primary objection to the latter method being,first, that the insole must be trimmed twice, namely before and afterthe folding, as the foldin g cannot be accomplished with sufcientaccuracy to bring the previously-formed insole to the exact contourdesired; second, that the material forming the fold or rib being bentback upon itself has nearly the same tendency to yield, or instability,that a single piece of the same thickness would have; third, that only avery thin insole can be folded to form a rib of varyin g contour;fourth, that the foregoing objection's render it necessary to cut ofi ortrim the edge of the fold or rib to reduce its size and in a measure toovercome its tendency to yield.

By my invention I produce in the stock of the insole a molded channel orgroove, passing through the walls of which the stitches that unite theinsole to the sole, or as is customary to the intermediate welt and tothe upper, pierce through and through two thicknesses of material andthereby, without impairing the strength and durability of the insole,secure a strong and durable union of the parts.

The terms channel or groove as employed by me are defined as anelongated hollow, the sides of which ar'e not in close proximity, asdistinguished from a fold, the inner sides of the material in the latterinstance being generally understood as in contact, or substantially so.I

In heavy shoes, such, for example, as those intended for men s wear, theinsole, being made of heavy stock, is strong enough in itself to holdwithout further provision the stitches. In shoes of lighter weight, ormore delicate manufacture, it is customary to make the insole of lightermaterial, in which case I provide an insole made of double thickness ofmaterial, the upper one afiording a smooth tread on the inside of theshoe for the foot, and the lower one carrying the rib formed by thegroove or channel in it. The lower insole is made in the same way asthat previously referred to; but the two thicknesses of material arefirmly united together by a seam or row of stitches, one on each side ofthe rib,

passing through and through both thicknesses of material and securelyuniting the parts together, the upper or reinforcing insole beingnecessary not only to afford a smooth tread for the foot, but servingthe additional purpose of maintaining the exact shape of the rib bypreventing the contraction or expansion of the channel or groove. Bythis means a durable insole may be made, answering all requirements, bythe employment of very light material, such, for example, as of thinleather, of canvas, or other fabric.

Heretofore attempts have been made to produce a ribbed insole, but suchattempts have been practicallyunsuccessful, owng to the fact that theyhave been confined to the use of a rib defined not by molding, but bystitching, in which case the rib was either made by a narrow stripsecured to theinsole proper, or if stitches of any kind were employedthey were located so that the welt- `machine, or machine for sewing thewelt to the insole, would cut a number of the stitches and so impai' thequality of the shoe.

In the accompanyng drawings, Figure I is a top plan view of my insole.Fig. II is a bottom plan view thereof. Fg. III isacrosssection of thesame, showing the groove IOO therein. Fig. IV is a cross-section of aportion of shoe complete embodying my invention and including a corkreinforcement. Fig. V is a top plan View of my insole, illustrating itspreferred form when thin material is used. Fig. VI is a cross-section ofthe same to show the arrangement of the seams or stitches. Fig. VII is atop plan view of my insole as applicable to the ordinary turned shoe forwomen, showing the groove extending only half-way around the sole.

Referring to the figures on the drawings, 1 indicates my insole. It maybe made of any suitable material, as, for example, leather or otherfabric, like canvas. Leather, as previously suggested, is employed inshoes for heavy wear and, as is well understood in the art ofleather-working, is usually of sutficient body to retain a shape thatmay be given to it by molding. Therefore in such Glasses of shoes I may,without further provision, complete the insole by forming in it at asuitable distance from its edge a clearlydefined groove or channel 2.preferably produced by the use of dies, or in any other suitable way.The groove or depression on the one side of the insole produees on theother side thereof a rib 3, while the remaining material of the insolelies perfectly fiat and smooth. Consequently, while the groove'd side ofthe insole might be used directly for the tread, I prefer to employ afinishing or reinforcing layer 5, as of smooth leather, which, beingsecured to the grooved side of the insole by suitable adhesive materialor cement, not only forms a smooth tread for the insole itself, but alsoafiords a reinforcement to the insole, so that in insoles manufacturedaccording to my method entirely from leather the rib 3 resembles a solidrib projectng from one insole, the cement serving to unite the partstogether and to make a strong, complete, and durable means for securingthe outer or wearing sole to the upper.

It is evident that a molded channel or groove, the sides of which areseparated, will define a rib upon the opposite side of the insole,which, by reason of its width, is much more stable and less liable toyield than a rib formed by stitching a single piece upon the insole, ora rib or wale forme'd by folding a thin insole upon itself. Not only isa more substantial rib obtained by molding, but it is possible to mold arib in stock many times heavier than that which can be eificientlyformed by folding.

For securng the outer or wearing sole to the upper an ordinary welt 6may be employed, secured to the insole and to the intermediate upper 7,as by stitches 8. In sewing the parts together the stitches 8 passentirely through the welt, upper, and both walls of the rib 3, therebyserving not only to unite the base of the walls of the rib firnly, butsecui-ing a firm hold upon the stock of the insole without weakening itin any manner- This groove is such, for example, as would be occasionedin the employment of an ordinary seam-channel cut into the stock of theinsole.

As above stated, when the stock of which the insole is made issufficiently heavy the 'rib when once formed in the material will holdits shape when stitched to the welt and upper without further provision.It may, however, be additionally secured by the employnent upon eachside of the rib of a row of stitches, which eXtend entirely through thedifierent thicknesses of the material of which the insole is composed.These stitches are indicated at 9 and 10 in Figs. V, VI, and VII of thedrawings, and they serve to permanently define and secure in place'therib 3 when it is made of yielding material which will not hold a moldedshape, as leather or similar material would do. If thin material isemployed, that portion of the insole of which the rib is forrned may bemade of double thickness and the rib or channel may be formed in it inthe same manner in which it is formed in leather, namely, by the use ofdies, for example. The rib may or may not be extended entirely aroundthe insole. It may, for example, extend around from one side of the heelto the other, or it may only extend around that portion of the insolewhich supports the ball of the foot, as shown in Fig. VII of thedrawings.

The rib 3 nay be made of any required elevation, so that between itswalls, that are sharply defined, there may be inserted a filling ofsuitable material, as cork, and the complete sole of the shoe may bebuilt up to any thickness. This construction-,afiords aspecially-suitable means for providing under the tread any requiredthickness of cork, as is clearly indicated at 12. (See particularly Fig.IV of the drawings.)

hat I claim isl. In a shoe, the combination with an insole provided witha rib defining molded groove adjacent to the opposite edges of theinsole, of an upper secured to the rib by stitches passing through bothwalls of the same, the molded rib being designed to permit of slightmovement of the medial portion of the insole without permitting yieldingof the upper, substantially as specified.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an insole provided with a ribdefining molded groove and with a fiat reinforcing-piece secured uponthe grooved side of the insole, substantially as specified.

3. In a shoe, the combination with an insole provided with a ribdefining molded groove adjacent to the opposite edges of the insole, ofan upper secured to the rib by stitches passing throughboth walls of thesame, and a filling of cork between the walls of the rib nearest thecenter of the sole, the molded rib being designed to permit of thelateral expansions of the cork without permitting yielding of the upper,substantially as specified.

IOO

4. The combination with an insole provided with a rib-defining moldedgroove, of a fiat reinforcing-piece Secured upon the grooved side of theinsole by securing means extending longitudinally with respect to therib and upon the opposite sides of the groove, substantially asspecified.

5. An insole consisting of two parts one provided with a rib-definingmolded groove and the other a flat piece united to the flat side of theribbed part, and stitches passing through both parts of the insole uponeach side of the groove the material of the fiat piece adjacent to thegroove and between the rows of stitches constituting stiffeningtoprevent the contraction of said groove or channel, substantially asspecified.

6. In a shoe, the combination with an insole provided with a rib-definngmolded groove, the sides of which are separated, par allel to each otherand perpendicular to the insole, of a filling of cork or other materiallocated between the walls of the rib and having its surfacesubstantially flush with the top of the rib whereby the rib is permittedto yield slightly when the cork is expanded laterally by a weightsuperimposed upon the insole, substantially as specified.

7. In a Shoe, the combination with an insole provided With a ribdefining molde'd groove, of a flat reinforcing-piece united to the fiatside of the ribbedinsole, stitches passing through the insole, andreinforcing-piece upon each side of the groove, an upper and vampstitched to the rib, a cork filling partially surrounded by the rib, anda sole titlched to the vamp, substa'ntially as speci- 8. In a Shoe, thecombination with an insole consisting of a plurality of layer-s and aribdefining molded groove formed in said layers, a flat piece upon thegrooved side of said insole and stitches passing through thereinforcing-piece and through both layers of the insole upon both sidesof the rib, substantially as specified.

In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

` GEORGE W. SLEEPER. itnesses OHAS. F. PELTIER, H. J. RoBINsoN.

